This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
How many times have you moved to a different home or school during your life? Moving is something many of our students do on a frequent basis. Next year, our students will attend school in a different building. My challenge is to make the "new" school comfortable and familiar.
The majority of students at our elementary school are considered academically at-risk for a variety of reasons.
Don't let that cloud your opinion though. They are bright, enthusiastic learners who work hard to beat the odds every year. Our school has recently been recognized on both national and international levels for their achievements.
This summer our entire staff and student body will be relocated to another building within the district. Although they are young, many of our students have attended multiple schools due to family moves.
Over the past five years, we have made numerous changes within our current school to make it an inviting place for students to spend their day. The building we are moving into has been used as a middle school most recently. This project aims to offer students a chance to personalize the courtyard garden area themselves through a combination of art, math, and science.
My Project
I am the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) lab teacher for grades 3-5. This position affords me the opportunity to work with over 100 students on a regular basis. With your help, I'd like to enable each student to create their own mosaic stepping stone to add to the courtyard garden of our "new" school.
Designing stepping stones lends itself to a natural integration of math and science. Their designs may include symmetrical shapes or objects from nature. In addition, the 3rd grade students would each design a sun-dial to enhance our study of shadows.
One of the most loved areas of our current school is the student and community garden.
Leaving this behind is going to be difficult. Fortunately, there is a courtyard garden at the "new" school. Designing mosaic stepping stones for this area will not only provide students an opportunity for academic conversations but will also enable students to take ownership of our new space.
Please consider helping us personalize this area so students will feel like their school is an "inviting" place.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Dr. Kaiser and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
